Intellectual matching toy and method of manufacturing

ABSTRACT

The puzzle is comprised of an exterior shell over a rotating interior ball. The interior ball rotates around the center point of the exterior shell, about an infinite number of axes running through the center point.  
     The interior ball may be moved rotating it and viewing it through arranged openings in the exterior shell. The challenge of the puzzle is to match the color of the exterior shell with similarly colored marks on the surface of the interior ball. The player rotates the interior ball looking for marks on the surface of the ball that match the color of the exterior shell around the openings. Variations of this matching are possible. The number of openings in the exterior shell may be any number depending on the geometric form of the exterior shell and the number of facets and openings.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a utility application which is based upon the disclosure including the functional description and structural disclosure contained in my provisional patent application #60/253/323 filed on Nov. 28, 2000.

PRIOR ART

[0002] The intellectual matching toy which is comprised of an exterior shell over a rotating interior ball is, different from the known Rubik's Cube. This invention is composed of only two parts which move in relation to each other: The exterior shell and the interior ball that is able to rotate inside.

[0003] A matching solution to this puzzle depends on random trial and error, where the Rubik's cube solution has established rules and must be memorized. In this invention partially memorizing the position of the marks may help only somewhat in solving the puzzle, since the arrangement of the marks may be disoriented to the player. This matching puzzle is intended for younger children than Rubic's cube. The rotation and matching could, however, be a useful exercise for the elderly. Due to the comfortable size of the puzzle, it can be used in waiting rooms, airplanes during travel time and relaxation between intensive periods of work. The puzzle does not make any noise and is quiet for others in public places.

[0004] The puzzle may be used in contests matching solutions in a given period of time.

DESCRIPTION

[0005] The round or polyhedral exterior shell over the rotating interior ball has rounded edges and corners. The polyhedral exterior shell may be created as a regular polyhedron or semi-regular polyhedron.

[0006] FIG. #1 shows the open exterior shell: one of the halves (#50) and the second half (#52) with the interior ball (#54). Openings in the exterior shell have colored edges: blue (#56), red (#58), Green (#60) and, Black (#62). Colored dots placed on the interior ball: blue (#64), red (#66), green (#68) and black (#70). Other dots (#72) are for misleading the player trying to match the same color of dots with the same color on the edge of the openings. The interior ball may rotate inside the two glued halves of the exterior shell. When the polyhedral shell is a cube, each side of the cube is colored and constructed individually. Three different colored sides come together at each rounded corner of the cube. FIG. #2 shows the open cube constructed of two groups of individually colored walls: One group is created by the red wall (#10), the yellow wall (#12) and the white wall (#14). The second group is created by the blue wall (#16), the green wall (#18), and the black wall (#20). After the placement of the ball (#22), two groups of glued walls are connected together by gluing edges. Each side of the cube has a centered, circular opening, which allows for the smooth guidance of the rotation of the interior ball.

[0007] On the FIG. #2, see the opening in the red wall (#24), in the yellow wall (#26), in the white wall (#28) of one part and in the blue wall (#30), in the green wall (#32), in the black wall (#34) of second part. The interior ball protrudes through each opening with a small space around for the frictionless movement of the ball. The ball protrusion is for touching and rotating it in any desired direction. The interior ball rotates about the geometric center point of the ball and the cube. In order to enclose the ball within the cube, two pairs of three of the sides of the cube are glued together. The centers of the openings of the cube create three axes, perpendicular to each other. The center of the cube or center of the surrounding ball space lines up with the center of the ball and with the center of the coordinates which are the axes: X, Y, and Z. These axes are located 90 degrees between each other in space. When the polyhedral shell is a tetrahedron, the center point of each circular opening in each side of the tetrahedron and the geometric center of the tetrahedron lines up with the center of the ball enclosed by the tetrahedron creating four axes with an equal angle between each other. When the polyhedral shell is an octahedron, eight axes each go through the center of an opening and the geometric center of the octahedron. Colored dots located on the surface of the ball match up with the colors of the shell around the openings for one solution only. On the FIG. #2 is shown ball (#22) with red dot (#36), yellow dot (#40), green dot (#38), other dots which may be blue, green, black (shown as #42), and dots (#44) may be additional for misleading. For a more difficult challenge, fewer than the full number of colored dots on the ball need match the colors around the opening.

[0008] FIG. #3 shows the green side (#18) of cube with the opening (#32) centered with the green dot (#38) placed on the ball (#22). Additional colored dots on the surface of the ball (designated as #44) are placed as additional marks for a more difficult solution. FIG. #4 a shows the cube facing red wall (#10), yellow wall (#12), green wall (#18) With centered openings in each wall respectively (#22, #26, and #32), on the ball (#22) red dot (#36), green dot (#38), yellow dot (#40) are placed in the center of each openings.

[0009] Drawing #4 b. shows the cube facing white wall (#14), blue wall (#16), black wall (#20) With centered opening (#28, #30 and #34) in each wall respectively. Dots (#42, #44 and #46) placed on the ball (#22) are centered with openings meeting proper colors.

[0010] FIG. #5 a shows two sets of solutions where each of the walls of the cube match with the center of its opening and the same color of dots on the ball.

[0011] FIG. #5 b shows the colored walls matching the opposite color of dots: The red wall with the white dot, the yellow wall with the black dot, the green wall with the blue dot, the white wall with the red dot, the black wall with the yellow dot, the blue wall with the green dot.

[0012] FIG. #6 shows the method of dot placement on the ball using tape connecting different color dots together and able to be glued on the ball in one piece. Center spine of a web (#2) includes number of dots applied around equator of the movable ball. One of the meridian branch is shown as (#4). One of the dots of spine (#6) is centered with the opening of the enclosed polyhedron wall, additional dots placed within vicinity of the opening are (#8).

[0013] FIG. #7 shows the exterior shell as a semi-regular polyhedron constructed of 18 square facets and 8 equilateral triangle facets whose sides are equal to the sides of the squares. This special polyhedron enables the creation of 18 openings to view the interior rotating ball with designed marks or symbols corresponding to designated edges of the openings. Besides the puzzle idea with this special polyhedron, this geometric solid may be used for another purpose. The information given around all walls of this solid, including the upper portion case this portion of the solid is seen from above. This could be used as a special light effect or advertisement or for airport flight information for example. Different support of this solid may be created using a hanging devise or column-type support. This shape of solid may be used as storage for liquid tank with different decorative angle facets. This shape may be used as an architectural shape of a building. FIG. #7 shows the side view and the isometric view of the tetrahedron shell:

[0014] Drawing #7 a shows the side view of the tetrahedron shell, the opening in one of the facets (#80), the movable interior ball (#82), one side of the shell (#84), and edge of the shell (#86).

[0015] FIG. #7 b shows the isometric view of the tetrahedron shell with the openings in the side facets (#80), the movable interior ball (#82), the side facet (#84), and one of the exterior edges (#86).

[0016] FIG. #8 shows the following:

[0017] FIG. #8 a shows the plane development of the irregular polyhedron shell (18 squares and 8 equilateral triangles), one of the equilateral triangles (#90), one of the squares (#92), the opening in the square facet (#94), and the edge of the shell (#96).

[0018] FIG. #8 b shows the side view of the shell with the triangle facet (#90), the square facet (#92), the opening in the side facet (#94), and one of the edges (#96).

[0019] FIG. #8 c shows the angle view with the triangle facet (#90), the square facet with the opening (#92), the opening in one of the square facet (#94), and one of the edges (#96).

[0020] FIG. #8 d shows the isometric view of the irregular polyhedron with the triangle facet (#90), the square facet (#92), the opening the side, (#94), one of the edges (#96), and the movable interior ball (#98).

[0021] Thus the scope of this invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given. 

1 A puzzle device assembly for intellectual play with manual operation of a toy comprising: (a) a polyhedron shaped housing, (b) a movable spherical element, whereby said polyhedron shaped hosing having a plurality of openings in its polygon faces through which said movable spherical element is exposed and said movable spherical element is able to rotate within the housing element, wherein both the housing and said movable spherical element having a plurality of color marks on their exposed surfaces, in which correct solution of said puzzle device is accomplished by manual rotation of said movable spherical element within the hosing until all respective color marks are matching. 2 A puzzle device assembly for intellectual play as set forth in claim 1, wherein said polyhedron shaped housing element is a tetrahedron shaped enclosure having four walls with four openings and each wall is marked with four different colors. 3 A puzzle device assembly for intellectual play as set forth in claim 1, wherein said polyhedron shaped hosing element is a cube shaped enclosure having six walls with six openings and each wall is marked with six different colors. 4 A puzzle device comprised of a polyhedron shell with openings in its faces through which protrude a movable ball placed inside the polyhedron shell and the movable ball able to rotate about the center point of the polyhedron shell about any axis intersecting that point, the movable ball inside the polyhedron with marks on the surface coordinated with openings in the polyhedron permitting viewing possibilities and the matching of marked edges or marked walls of opening with said marks placed on the movable ball by rotating the movable interior ball. 5 A puzzle comprised of an exterior ball shell with a number of openings having marked edges and a movable interior ball with marks placed and with marks corresponding to marks at the opening of the exterior ball shell, which can be matched by rotating the movable interior ball about any axis intersecting point which is the center of the exterior ball shell with marked openings and the movable interior ball having marks on its surface, the exterior sphere with opening and interior ball with marks coincide, their centers coincide, the small space between the exterior and the movable interior ball will assure movement and sliding inside the surface of the exterior shell. 6 A puzzle device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said polyhedron shell is made of an irregular polyhedron shaped enclosure comprising 18 square faces and 8 equilateral triangle faces having any shape of openings in any of the faces and with some of the faces removed from the shell. 7 Said in claim 4 the movable interior ball has a number of round dots applied on its surface with the same colors as the color applied on the faces of the polyhedron shell. 8 A method of manufacturing of said marks on the surface of said movable ball as set forth in claim 4, in which said marks are color coded and form a flat pattern structure having a plurality of said color marks and a web of connecting links arranged to form a center spine length and meridian arms branching sideways from said spine, whereby said flat pattern structure is flexible and applied in wrapped-around fashion to exterior surface of the ball element to form an appearance of an equator and meridians on said ball. 